Dramaturgy
by Measured
Summary: “I, L’Arachel, beauteous vanquisher of evil am here to save you!” “...Save me?” Erika said. L'Arachel/Erika


Title: Dramaturgy  
Series: Fire Emblem 8  
Character/Pairing: L'Arachel/Eirika  
Rating: PG at very most  
A/N: Fire Emblem 8, L'Arachel/Eirika: exaggeration - everything in Rausten was bigger and better. I may have had a little too much fun writing L'Arachel.

**.**

When they parted, L'Arachel was most despondent, and truly it was only the promise of writing that kept her tears from spilling over into dramatic sobs. She had told Erika this many times, in fact. And letters did come, not a month later and a fifteen page bundle of a letter arrived at Erika's doorstep. In a most flowery prose, L'Arachel detailed all of Rausten's good points, as well as many worried entreaties to Erika's health. _Dearest, Dearest Erika, Rausten misses you and most of all, I miss you. Have I mentioned that Rausten's mountains are of the utmost majesty – the kind that makes bards sing love songs to them. And the rivers – oh the rivers! They are a thing as pure as heaven itself._ It went on like that in a similar fashion for fifteen pages, each letter following similarly lauded Rausten as paradise on the mortal realm.

As rebuilding Renais took up all her attention, Erika put off responding immediately. So it went with the next letters. She _meant_ to be prompt and respond as any proper lady would, but what would one say to a fifteen-page letter? She was so weary these days that she could barely fill a page, let alone fifteen. So she let it slide and thought nothing of it.

**.**

L'Arachel had sobbed herself in to her pillow for days now. Letter after letter went out, in handwriting that was perfection itself dipped with her perfume and now littered with her tears as she wrote.

It had been two months with no replies. None. _None_ None! She leaned back over the chaise in a swoon of utter sorrow. She'd sent letter after letter, and still Renais remained quiet. Surely they – Erika was alright? Oh, if she were sick and she, L'Arachel wasn't there to lay a cold cloth on her head then she'd never forgive herself.

"Oh this waiting, this horrid waiting! I will never survive it, I tell you!"

Rennec sighed. "Oh for pete's sake..."

"Rennac, Dozla! We must go undercover again. I am convinced that Erika needs me _postehaste!_"

"Bwahahah! I'm ready, Lady L'Arachel!" He saluted.

Rennec, however, was much less enthusiastic. He leaned against the wall, his eyes closed in what must have been contemplation over the perfection of her plan. It certainly couldn't be _annoyance_ for no man would be annoyed when there was such of plan of peerless perfection made by a beauty such as herself. Rennec liked to _pretend_ that he was annoyed, but she knew it was just out of some pride or other thing.

"Rennec!"she said again. He sighed.

She lifted her staff high. "I will take that as a yes. Get your things ready. To-morrow we ride!"

**.**

The ride itself was one of most perilous kind, with thorns in her nether regions and once, Dozla even tripped on a root once, which was most dangerous given his penchant for large battle axes. While there might not have been any undead to vanquish this time around, L'Arachel counted it as Very Dangerous, for who knew what brigands and thieves had been laying in wait, only to be stopped by her majesty, and driven to tears and given to confessing their sins? Surely there must have been at least five bands, perhaps even ten!

So it was that L'Arachel felt proud (well, _prouder_) as she came to Renais' borders. She had vanquished evil without even getting her clothes dirty, and now she was closer than ever to Erika – Oh beloved Erika who would be so glad to see her and rescue her from whatever had made her unable to write!

She dismounted off her steed and looked about at the change that had been wrought. Where once there had been little more than burning ash and skeletons, now there was happy life as if the war was itself nothing. Life had gon on, and the dark shadows of the evils that had visited on them in the war were now but a bad memory.

L'Arachel shed a single crystalline tear. It was beautiful, o beautiful! Both Erika and Ephraim had worked so very hard to make their kingdom good again, and they had succeeded so well. She was ever so proud of them.

**.**

When she came upon the castle, it too was new and far better than what she had seen before. Familiar soldiers lead her right in to the castle, and then, there was Erika – Ephraim was off something, official business, or so they said. But L'Arachel thought little of that for sweet, dear, lovely Erika was there.

She embraced Erika tight, and only released when Erika choked out that she couldn't breathe.

"I, L'Arachel, beauteous vanquisher of evil am here to save you!"

She lifted her staff up with flourish. Dozla cackled. Rennec rolled his eyes and sullenly crossed his arms. She'd have to have another talking to him about the importance of _making a good entrance_. Really, he was so clueless sometimes.

"...Save me?" Erika said.

"Why, from the vicious plague and/or foul menace that has prevented you from writing back to me!"

"There's nothing wrong, I've just been very busy with rebuilding. I have very little time for responding to letters, I'm afraid," Erika said.

"...Oh. Really? Not even a tiny scoundrel for me to vanquish?"

"Well, the kitchens are infested with rodents?" Erika said.

"...Mice? Well, any foe of Erika's is a foe of mine! I shall vanquish them! ...Rennec and Dozla, destroy those mice!"

"Not with axes–!" Erika said, aghast.

"Destroy them not with axes! But perhaps with something else, like pans or small wooden mallets... Wait, those are not glorious at all..."

"There's nothing glorious about killing vermin," Rennec groused.

"Any journey is glorious! Now chop chop! Get to work! Every moment we tarry, Erika is yet more in danger. Just think if they _got into her food_ – o I can barely even bear to think of such a thing!"

Rennec left grumbling, Dozla left cackling. When they were gone, she embraced Erika again.

"O, Erika! I have missed you all these days long! I cried myself to sleep every night! In most girls this would make them withered and red, but I daresay that it did not lessen my beauty – if nothing, perhaps it added to it!"

"Well, you've certainly not changed much," Erika said, though she said it with a sense of exasperated fondness.

"I confess. I may have even exaggerated Rausten's beauty, and that is no small feat! But Erika, you must believe me when I say it was merely to make you come to me for a visit! I have missed you. I missed you so, so much," L'Arachel said.

"Why didn't you come visit in Renais?"

"Oh, as much as I would have liked to, I simply couldn't! I thought of riding on a brilliant white steed, but the shame of bursting in uninvited even if I know that Renais would be that much brighter with me here – I could not bear it," L'Arachel said.

"You've always come uninvited before. Like right now," Erika said.

"Yes, but you see that was as a lowly Troubadour. I had to feign things, lest anyone catch on to my disguise! Besides, I was convinced that you were injured and then the rules must be bent a little. Your safety was in question," L'Arachel said.

"I've been busy almost every waking hour. Renais was so very destroyed...it is almost a surprise that there is anything left to rebuild," Erika said.

"Then I shall stay here to help you, as long as you need. And then you will not be so tired and weary as now, for there is no way I will ever let you take such awful tasks on by yourself."

Erika laughed. "It will be much more interesting here with you."

L'Arachel lifted her staff. "Lead me to where you will it for I am your most humble servant – I will vanquish whatever you need vanquishing, and o! I will sing you songs to lighten your day. Have I sang to you the Ballad Of The Darkling Woods? It brought tears to my eyes the very first time I heard it, and still does every time. You must hear it, Erika, oh and–"

"You don't have to tell me everything at once. You will have plenty of time to tell me everything."

"Oh and you too, Erika. You must tell me everything! All that transpired, enough to fill hundreds of letters and then some!"

"I think that's fair," Erika said. She put her arm about L'Arachel, and for the first time that day, L'Arachel was finally quiet.


End file.
